10 Must Try Latino Snacks & Bites

Graphic design showing varieties of Latino snacks

If there’s one thing the Latine community prides itself on, it’s that we know good food. From full meals to snacks, we love to eat! Sweet, savory, and everything in between, we have a special relationship with all the food we consume. Check out our list of the 10 Latine snacks we crave, and all the memories that come back with every bite. After all, isn’t that one of the main reasons we’re so attached to these snacks? They’re reminders of those simple moments that brought us so much joy.


Gansitos

Image of the Latino snack "gansito"


Country of origin: Mexico

Gansitos are little snack cakes filled with creme and strawberry jelly and also covered entirely in a chocolate coating. Can you say yum? So many recall sweet memories of eating frozen Gansitos. We don’t know what our parents were thinking but we definitely know some of us might have had these for breakfast. But if poptarts count as breakfast food, Gansitos definitely make the cut, and IOHO they’re much tastier!

Alfajores

Image of the Latino snack "alfajores"

Country of origin: Cuba

From the outer crisp cookie to the dulce de leche filling, alfajores are melt in your mouth delicious! They're the perfect in-between of a cake and pan dulce and pair perfectly with your midday cafecito. They’re a little bite of heaven that no one can resist!

Tequeños

Image of the Latino snack "teque\u00f1os"

Country of origin: Venezuela

Simply put, Tequeños are an upgrade to the basic mozzarella cheese sticks. Made with crispy dough and fried until golden brown, we can’t stop ourselves from eating as many as we can. The perfect appetizer to kick off your party and show off your Latine cultura!

Elote En Vaso or Esquites

Image of the Latino snack "Elote en vaso"

Country of origin: Mexico

We’ve always loved elotes, but an elote en vaso (AKA esquites in Mexico) is magic. Elotes are a little bit of the best of all the things you enjoy: queso, crema, chilito picoso and of course, the fresh corn (it’s not legit if it comes from a can). People stand in line for 30 to 45 minutes or more waiting to get their hands on a snack that they will devour in less than 10 minutes because the taste of corn in a cup is that amazing!

Pupusas

Image of the Latino snack "Pupusas"

Country of origin: El Salvador

The greatest thing about stuffed cornmeal patties? They’re fully customizable! We love pupusas because they’re super filling and can be made to your liking. Pro tip: order them with curtido, a spicy cabbage, carrot, onion, and vinegar slaw. Warning: if you eat them with a fork, you might get side-eye.

Tostones

Image of the Latino snack "Tostones"

Country of origin: Caribbean and Latin America

Fried and salted plantains, anyone? Tostones were a staple growing up for many in Puerto Rican households. Some of our favorites are tostones de pana that our abuelas would make from scratch. You can’t forget the mayo ketchup on the side to add a bit of flavor to an already savory treat.

Pastelitos De Guayaba y Queso

Image of the Latino snack "Pastelitos de guayaba y queso"

Country of origin: Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico

Walk into any Latine bakery with a large Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Colombian population and you’ll probably always see pastelitos de guayaba y queso in the display case. These puff pastry desserts can be covered in powdered sugar or corn syrup but the base of guava and cream cheese always remains a constant.

Arepas

Image of the Latino snack "arepa"

Country of origin: Colombia, Venezuela

Similar to the Salvadoran pupusa, arepas are a favorite for anyone looking for a handheld cornmeal-based snack stuffed with anything imaginable. We love ours with cheese and chicken, and if we’re feeling fancy we might throw some avocado on there too!

Quenepas/Mamoncillo

Image of the Latino snack "Quenepas"

Country of origin: Many in Latin America and the Caribbean

These bittersweet fruits are known by many names in Latin America, the Caribbean, and even states like Florida. Many might affiliate them with hot summers, the juicy fruit providing relief from the heat almost instantly.

Totis Donitas

Image of the Latino snack "Totis Donitas"

Country of origin: Mexico

Totis Donitas are little wheat circles covered in lime and chile. These are a great portable snack for those on the go, and come in some flavor varieties as well we love to share.


hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.